Community and Problem-Oriented Policing

1. Community and Problem-Oriented Policing Seventh Edition Chapter 12 Problem Solving in Practice: “What Works” with Drugs, Youth Gangs and Violence, and Neighborhood Disorder

2. Learning Objectives (1 of 2) 12.1 How the war on drugs is changing in terms of the nature and types of problems now confronting the police, as well as strategies and legislation for combating drug abuse. 12.2The problems of youth crime in general, as well as their involvement with gangs, gun violent, graffiti, cyberbullying, and school violence. 12.3 How neighborhood disorder can lead to serious community problems, and some of the challenges and means involved with addressing it.

3. Introduction • How does community-oriented policing and problem-solving function in practice? • Where or not these strategies succeed is the sole test concerning the efficacy of this strategy • “What works” is this chapter’s focus

4. The (Changing) War on Drugs • 2013 was the onset of major changes with the U.S. war on drugs • Marijuana legalization • U.S. Attorney General Holder, Jr. came out against racist mandatory minimum drug laws and mass incarceration • Uruguay was the first country in the world to legalize marijuana

5. Marijuana • U.S. imprisons 2.2 million persons and the majority of those incarcerated in prison or jail are for drug violations • Many are for marijuana law violations • Marijuana has become legalized in various manners in a number of states • Half of the United State allows marijuana for medical use • Public support for legalization has been on the rise

6. Conflicting Federal Law • State and local laws legalizing of marijuana is in direct violation of federal law • Federal Regulations list marijuana as a Schedule I controlled substance • 53% of Americans say marijuana should be made legal • Harvard University estimated that legalizing marijuana would save $13.7 billion a year in expenditures on enforcement, court expenses, and incarcerations

7. Cocaine • Cocaine levels in the U.S. have fluctuated slightly, but are consistently lower levels than prior to 2007 • Most cocaine comes from Colombia, but is smuggled across the Southwest Border • 2010 Congress passed the Fair Sentencing Act • Reduces disparity between sentences for crack cocaine versus powder cocaine offenses

8. Prescription Drug Abuse: When Jails Become Rehab Clinics • 100 million Americans suffer from chronic pain, and 219 million opioid prescription are now written each year • Estimated the 2.1 million Americans are estimated to be addicted • More than 17,000 total die each year from prescription-opioid overdoses • 2013 Federal Drug Quality and Security Act • Establishes a system to track prescription drugs

9. Methamphetamine • Meth availability is increasing in the U.S. • Large amounts are being produced in Mexico • Highly available and easily obtained • Mostly small labs in the U.S.

10. Heroin • The threat posed by heroin in the U.S. is increasing in areas across the country • Availability is increasing across the nation • Mexican traffickers are increasing production and transportation • Seizures at the border has more than doubled since 2009 • Heroin overdose deaths are increasing

11. Synthetic “Designer” Drugs • Use of synthetic drugs is quite high • Most are labeled not for human consumption to avoid FDA regulations • Synthetic Drug Abuse Prevention Act • DEA schedules synthetic cannabinoids as an effort to control these dangerous man-made drugs

12. What Works: “Pulling Levers,” Legislation, HIDTA • Police have achieved considerable success on drug sale and abuse with problem solving and legislation • Crackdowns alone have minimal, short-term effects on drug problems • “Pulling levers”: focused deterrence • Diagnosing a specific crime problem • Organizing an interagency working group of criminal justice personnel • Identifying crime patterns • Responding to law violators • Providing offenders with social services • Continuously communicating with offenders

13. High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Program • HIDTA programs were created by Congress with the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988 • Provides assistance to federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies • Principally supports drug supply reduction • Changing to place more emphasis on expanding prevention efforts and support access to treatment

14. Youth and Crime: Gangs, Guns, and Graffiti • 36% of all arrests, and 37% of arrests for violent crimes are of persons under 25 years of age • Juvenile justice is generally considered nonpunitive and rehabilitate goals • Heinous crime by juveniles should be transferred to adult courts for processing

15. Juvenile Offending Today • Juvenile arrest rates for all offenses was at its highest in 1996 and has been declining ever since • Juveniles commit about 11% of all violent crimes • Juveniles commit 16% of all property crimes • No single theory regarding juvenile crime has been universally accepted • Correlation between juvenile crime and family dysfunction, drug use and deviance, socioeconomic class, and educational experiences

16. Youth Gangs: An Overview • Gangs are a group of peers sharing a gang name, recognizable symbols, identifiable leadership, having an identified geographic territory, holding regular meetings, and being collectively engaged in illegal activities • 30,000 gangs and 850,000 members • Number of gangs and gang members are on the rise • Most youth who join gangs only remain active for 1 to 2 years

17. What Works with Youth Gangs? • Targeted patrols or a dedicated gang unit is the most frequently used • Civil gang ordinances are also used • Arrests along do not solve the gang problem • Fundamental changes in schools, job skill development, services to families, and problem solving policing are all multifaceted approaches used • GREAT: school-based, officer-instructed classroom curriculum administered by OJJDP • Blueprints for Violence Prevention

18. Gang Involvement with Human Trafficking • Sex trafficking rings run by gangs and other criminal enterprises are increasingly becoming the norm • Human trafficking is now the fastest growing criminal enterprise • FBI reports The Bloods, MS-13, Surenos, and Somali are involved in human trafficking • Use technology and social media

19. Gun Violence, Generally: Problem-Solving Approaches • Using SARA problem-solving process can reduce gun violence within a given community • Must be implemented properly through analysis of the gun issues in that particular area

20. Youth and Guns • In 2015 a teenager is more likely to die of a gunshot wound than all other diseases combined • Engage in risky behavior • Search for a sense of belonging and identity • Lack of foresight and understanding of consequences • People under the age of 30 account for 65% of weapons arrests • 10% of high school youth have reported carrying weapons • Prime time for youth violence 3 to 8 p.m. • Isolation and idle time • “Pulling levers” swift and severe consequences

21. Graffiti: What Works • Graffiti depreciates property values, adds to the deterioration of neighborhoods, contributes to economic and urban blight • Community policing partnerships work • Photographing and documenting graffiti is useful source of intelligence • Removing graffiti reduces the gangs’ sense of territory • Conduct public campaigns • Monitor graffiti-prone locations and chronic offenders

22. Cyberbullying • Cyberbullying is at an all-time high and does not appear to be declining • Youth live much meaner than a generation ago • Offers some anonymity and safety in distance • 1 in 3 students report being bullied in school and over half 52% youth report being cyberbullied • Cyberbullying is generally not a law enforcement issue • Usually fall short of stalking and harassment statutes

23. What Can Police Do? • Stopcyberbullying.org prepared a guide for law enforcement • Police need to consider the threat and the nature of the threat • More repeated the communications the greater the threats • Police need to work with Internet service providers, and preserve evidence

24. School Violence • Since 1999 there have been at least 262 school shootings • Very traumatic for all involved • Can lead to PTSD • Struggle to find a sense of safety

25. What Can Police Do? • School resource officer need to build relationships with students • Proactive and diffuse potential violent situations • Schools should have a safety plan • If an act of violent at school appears possible the police should perform a threat assessment with the school officials • Police agencies respond swiftly in active-shooter situations • Rush toward gunfire • Special-weapons teams may arrive after the initial responders

26. Neighborhood Disorder: Definitions, Problems, and Responses • Neighborhood disorder conveys messages about the neighborhood • Visual signs of decay, reduction of home values, predatory crime • Exhibit 12-7: Milwaukee and Community Prosecution Unit for drug houses and Manhattan, Illinois fighting foreclosure problems • Exhibit 12-8 Green Bay Police addressing crime and disorder

27. Responding to Problems of Abandoned Buildings • Abandoned buildings will quickly lead to crime and disorder • No universal definition of what constitutes abandoned • Abandoned properties provide cover, concealment, and opportunities for motivated criminals • Cycle of blight • Analysis of the problem is needed before responses can be considered • First the owner should be motivated to repair the property • Second may involve seizing the property • Finally, property may be reused or restored